Tourism Action PlanTourism Action Plan
01/ Executive summary 01 02/ Introduction 04 03/ Tourism in Sydney
06 04/ Contemporary challenges 09 05/ Focus and outcomes 12 06/
Destination development 14 07/ Destination management 18 08/
Destination marketing 21 09/ Measuring success 24 10/
Implementation and monitoring 25
: Actions 26 11/ Appendix 1 12/ Appendix 2: Performance
measures
and baseline data 39 13/ References 40
The Tourism Action Plan can be accessed on the City of Sydney
website at www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.
Chief Executive Officer Attention: Andrea Beattie City of Sydney
GPO Box 1591, Sydney, NSW 2001
The City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan and all information, text,
graphics and photographs are copyright of City of Sydney. The
content is protected by Australian and International Copyright and
trademark laws.
Executive summary
Value of tourism Sydney is Australia’s premier destination city and
the gateway to New South Wales (NSW), attracting 10.5 million
visitors in 2012 with 4.3 million visitors staying directly in the
City of Sydney’s local government area (LGA)1. It is recognised as
Australia’s premier destination city for good reason, with its
beautiful natural harbour, iconic architectural landmarks, and
world renowned events and attractions. The wide range of reasons to
visit means Sydney currently receives approximately 50 per cent of
all international visitors to Australia, exemplifying Sydney’s
status as the nation’s only global city.
The tourism sector makes a significant impact on Sydney’s economy,
benefiting the city’s businesses and communities. Visitor direct
expenditure contributed over $5 billion to the City economy in
20122. By its very nature tourism is a broad sector, supporting
diverse industries such as transport, accommodation, education,
retail, cultural and recreational services3. The city’s vibrant
24/7 tourism industry underpins the health and vitality of more
than 10,000 businesses in the city and provides important
employment opportunities. More than 6.8 per cent of the LGA
workforce is employed in the city’s tourism industry, an estimated
26,700 people4.
Tourism is therefore a priority area of focus for the City of
Sydney (the City) due to its important contribution to:
–Job creation, economic growth and resilience – tourism is one
industry that continued to provide jobs and bring much needed
economic stimulus through financially difficult times5.
The tourism sector is a priority area of focus for the City of
Sydney due to its important contribution to job creation and
economic growth, and increased knowledge and cultural awareness
between countries.
–Increased knowledge and cultural awareness between countries –
tourism helps to distribute information about our country’s
history, civilisation, traditions and customs to international
visitors; and
–National and international recognition of Sydney as a great place
to visit, live, work, invest, study and stage events – tourism
benefits the wider community by enriching the diversity and
cultural vitality of the city and improving lifestyles.
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City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
Challenges and opportunities Despite the success that Sydney has
had to date as Australia’s premier destination city, it must move
forward to secure its place on the world map as a destination for
leisure, business, employment and education. The City of Sydney
recognises that the tourism sector in Sydney is facing a number of
challenges globally, nationally and locally.
Global and national challenges include: Australians choosing to
travel internationally instead of domestically; the historically
high value of the Australian dollar; the dampening effects of the
global economic downturn reducing business and leisure trips; and
the increased competition of new tourist markets in the Asia-
Pacific region.
Local issues are many and varied, and include: a recognised
shortage in hotel accommodation in the city, with different
industry forecasts showing that between 5,000 to 9,000 additional
hotel rooms are required in the next decade to meet the demand of
growing tourist numbers in Sydney6; the need to cater to growing
demand for ‘green’ tourism and eco-tourism, and to meet
sustainability targets within the sector; the need to deliver new
and unique experiences to attract first-time and return visitors;
and the need to promote safety and a vibrant night time economy
balancing the needs of visitors, businesses and local
residents.
Though challenges exist, the City has also identified numerous
opportunities for developing tourism in Sydney. When realised,
these opportunities will further reinforce Sydney’s position as
Australia’s premier tourist destination. Existing opportunities
include: marketing Sydney to new and emerging markets such as
China, Korea and India; the redevelopment of the Sydney
International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct
(SICEEP) that will reinforce Sydney’s position as a premier
conference and convention destination; further expanding Sydney’s
diverse events, attractions and experiences so that they continue
to rank amongst the best in the world; and meeting the growing
demand for greener accommodation and high quality tourism
facilities and infrastructure that will provide further prospects
for economic growth.
Without proactive, collaborative effort by partners to address all
major challenges facing Sydney’s tourism sector, the opportunities
that have been recognised for growth will not be realised. Through
this Tourism Action Plan, the City sets out how it will work with
partners to maintain and develop a vibrant tourism sector in
Sydney.
Tourism makes a significant economic impact with visitors
delivering a direct spend of more than $5 billion into the city
economy in 2012.
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Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
Our focus for action The City has an important role to play in
developing a strong visitor economy. We will work with industry and
government partners to create an environment that allows tourism to
diversify, grow and develop.
The City will focus its activities in three core areas:
Destination development – encouraging the development of product
and infrastructure;
Destination management – enhancing the quality of the visitor
experience; and
Destination marketing – strengthening partnerships to maximise
visitation potential.
Some of the key projects we intend to undertake to grow, diversify
and sustain the tourism sector include:
–Working in partnership with the NSW Government to improve key
areas of Sydney – transform George Street to include light rail,
pedestrianisation, wider footpaths, outdoor dining and open public
space – and to increase options for public transport and
cycling;
–Collaborating with Business Events Sydney to attract a greater
number of conferences and business events to Sydney, increasing the
number of business-related visits to the city;
–Alongside Destination NSW, working to promote Sydney as a
destination of choice in both domestic and international markets,
through local and internationally focused marketing
campaigns;
–Continuing to support major festivals and events that increase
visitation to Sydney, such as the Sydney Festival, Sydney Mardi
Gras, the Biennale of Sydney and the Sydney Writers’ Festival;
produce world-class events such as the Sydney Chinese New Year
Festival, Sydney New Year’s Eve and Art and About, and also work to
secure first-run premieres of musicals;
–Working with Destination NSW, Sydney Airports, the Sydney Harbour
Foreshore Authority and Transport for NSW to improve the quality
and consistency of information provided to tourists at key arrival
points and information kiosks; and
–Continuing to introduce initiatives that respond to safety of
visitors and residents in the City at night by diversifying the
Late Night Economy.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Introduction
This Tourism Action Plan sets out how the City of Sydney will work
with partners to maintain and develop a vibrant tourism sector in
Sydney.
Background During 2007–08, the City undertook the most
comprehensive community consultation in its history. We spoke to
residents, workers, students, business operators, industry
associations, community organisations and visitors about their
vision, goals and aspiration for the future of the city. The result
is Sustainable Sydney 2030 – a comprehensive plan for the
development of the city to 2030 and beyond. The plan sets out a
series of actions to achieve a green, global and connected city and
identifies synergies between focus areas, such as the linkage
between community, liveability, creativity, innovation and
productivity outcomes.
The City of Sydney Economic Development Strategy 2013 has built on
and updated the broad economic themes in Sustainable Sydney 2030.
It provides a comprehensive framework which guides the City’s
economic development initiatives. It sets out the City’s economic
development aspirations, role, priorities and approach.
The Economic Development Strategy is intended to be read in
conjunction with the detailed action plans prepared for priority
industry sectors, new and emerging sectors, and the development of
places, one of which is this Tourism Action Plan.
Tourism Action Plan Tourism has been identified as a priority
within the City’s Economic Development Strategy. The size of the
tourism sector relative to other industries, the number and
diversity of jobs associated with the tourism industry and the role
tourism plays as a catalyst for economic investment in NSW and
Australia through international visitation support this priority
status.
There are many challenges facing the sector. They include increased
competition over Sydney as a destination of choice for tourists and
business travellers within the Asia- Pacific region and high hotel
occupancy levels which limit the capacity for growth and the
attraction of conferences and events. In recent years, the
Australian tourism market has experienced declines in domestic and
international tourist numbers due to the high value of the
Australian dollar relative to other global currencies7.
The focus of the City’s actions will be directed to the maintenance
and growth of tourism-related industry in the city to ensure Sydney
remains a highly desirable destination for the global tourist
travel and business markets. The economic contribution of
tourism-related businesses to the city is significant, as is their
contribution more generally to the liveability of Sydney for
residents, workers and visitors and the cross-cultural promotion of
Australia as a destination for trade and tourism.
Many of the initiatives set out in this plan focus on enhancing the
quality of the experience of visitors to Sydney, strengthening
partnerships to maximise visitor numbers and encouraging the
development of tourism products and infrastructure, and the
marketing of Sydney to a wider audience of potential
visitors.
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Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
Evidence-based This plan responds to the findings of a research and
consultation program conducted during 2011 and 2012.
This program captured the views of the tourism industry and
government stakeholders and reflected the views of the community
expressed during the extensive consultation process undertaken
during the development of Sustainable Sydney 2030. Sydney’s tourism
sector was compared with that of other global and Australian
cities, major trends and issues affecting the sector were
identified and baselines established for many of the indicators
that will be used to monitor change over time. Pertinent findings
from key Tourism Australia and Destination NSW reports on the
tourism sector have also been addressed.
A dynamic plan This action plan is intended as a dynamic plan,
changing as the needs and priorities of the sector change.
Progress on the identified projects will be reported
regularly.
Progress toward the achievement of targets or the identification of
trends will be reported annually, albeit some data will not be
refreshed this frequently.
Priorities will be assessed annually based on the outcomes achieved
and as new information on the needs of the sector become
available.
A major review will be undertaken to coincide with the end of the
first five years of the action plan.
A partnership approach In delivering on this action plan, the City
cannot act alone and seeks to create strong partnerships and
networks with industry, government and others, so, through our
combined efforts, more can be achieved.
We recognise the excellent work that our partners are taking
forward within the tourism sector in Sydney, and will look to
support them in developing this crucial part of the city’s economy.
For instance, NSW Government’s recently released Visitor Economy
Taskforce Report looks to put in place a wide range of actions
intended to double overnight expenditure in the State by 2020. The
City will, wherever possible, align its actions with those of
partners to achieve this goal.
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Tourism in Sydney
Defining tourism The World Tourism Organisation defines tourists as
people “travelling to and staying in places outside their usual
environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure,
business and other purposes”. A person’s usual environment refers
to where they would normally carry out everyday activities, such as
the area where they live, work and shop8.
Over the past century, tourism has experienced continued growth and
greater diversification to become one of the fastest-growing
economic sectors in the world. These dynamics have turned tourism
into a key driver for socio economic progress. In recent years,
the global business volume of tourism has equalled or even
surpassed that of oil exports, food products or automobiles8.
Tourism can contribute significantly to the wealth of cities
through the creation of employment opportunities in industries
associated with tourism and leisure, the income generated through
the consumption of goods and services by tourists and taxation
revenue from tourism related businesses.
Tourism demand consists of travel and visitation by Australians
domestically and overseas visitors. This visitation can be for
leisure, business, employment or education.
Inputs to tourism supply include all of the inter-related
activities that are required to produce goods and services for
consumption by tourists. This includes transport, accommodation,
education, retailing, cultural and recreational services9.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the
world, and contributes significantly to economic growth and
diversification through the creation of a wide range of employment
opportunities.
Tourism also leads to increased knowledge and cultural awareness
between countries, and distributes information about a particular
country’s history, civilisation, traditions and customs. Tourism is
a major contributor to national and international recognition of
Sydney as a great place to visit, live, work, invest, study and
stage events. It delivers an impact across the wider community by
enriching the diversity and cultural vitality of the city, and
improving lifestyles.
In 1994, the United Nations developed three classifications for
types of tourism:
–Domestic tourism – involving residents of the given country
travelling only within this country;
–Inbound tourism – involving non-residents travelling in the given
country; and
–Outbound tourism – involving residents travelling in another
country10.
This action plan is concerned with all three tourism
classifications.
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Economic contribution
National and NSW
Tourism is a significant industry for Australia. In 2011–12, it
generated $106.6 billion in consumer spending and contributed over
$41 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product11. Tourism
directly employs over 500,000 people and earns nearly 10 per cent
of our total export earnings, making it Australia’s largest service
export industry (2011–12 figures)12.
Visitors now spend more than $30 billion in NSW per annum13.
Tourism generates $83.6 million a day for the State and
approximately $36 million a day for metropolitan Sydney14. As an
industry in NSW, it is greater than agriculture, forestry and
fishing, supporting a multitude of businesses from shops, cafés and
hotels through to petrol stations, laundries and market
gardeners15.
Based on market trends developed by the Tourism Forecasting
Committee, international visitor arrivals to Australia are
predicted to reach 8.4 million by the year 2022, which is a
significant increase on 2012 numbers which were forecast at 6.0
million visitors16.
Metropolitan Sydney
For the year ended December 2012, Metropolitan Sydney attracted
10.5 million visitors, staying a total of 78.9 million visitor
nights and contributing $11 billion dollars directly into the
economy17.
Domestic day trips are also extremely important for the Sydney
economy. In the year to December 2012, Sydney received 20.3 million
domestic daytrip visitors – up 7.0 per cent on the previous year18.
These visitors spent $2.3 billion in Sydney19.
Around 47 per cent of all international visitors and 46 per cent of
international business visitors to Australia come to Sydney20. In
2011–12, Sydney accommodated over 2.5 million domestic and
international business visitors21.
The Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts Sydney will host nearly
105 million visitor nights in 2020–2122. Because visitors spend
their money on a variety of activities – accommodation, transport,
shopping, restaurants and attractions – the impact of this growth
in visitor nights will flow to a wide range of businesses across
metropolitan Sydney.
Cruise ship arrivals continues to be one of the fastest growing
components of the tourism industry, and 2012–13 was the busiest on
record with 265 cruise ships visiting Sydney Harbour23. The
combined passenger spend, crew spend and vessel-related costs in
2010–11 contributed $350 million to the NSW economy and is
forecasted to increase to $1.1 billion in 2019–2024.
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City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
City of Sydney local government area The City of Sydney local
government area (LGA) share of Sydney’s hotel visitor arrivals in
the year to December 2012 was 4.25 million (or 63 per cent of
Sydney’s arrivals)25. These visitors delivered a direct spend into
the LGA of over $5 billion per annum26. Of this total, $1 billion
was spent on shopping and $2.8 billion in the hospitality sector,
excluding prepaid accommodation27.
The LGA is home to 60 per cent of metropolitan Sydney’s hotel
rooms28. On any one night there are around 27,500 visitors staying
in the LGA and annual guest nights are just over 10 million29. The
average hotel occupancy rate over the 12 months to December 2012
was 84.6 per cent.30
On any given day, the city also attracts 480,000 day visitors and
students31. The combined shopping spend of international and
domestic visitors to the LGA is estimated to make up around 20–25
per cent of the city’s retail turnover32.
Business Events Sydney, the official body responsible for promoting
Sydney as a business events destination, secured 103 events in
2011–12 and was expected to attract over 58,000 delegates and
contribute $225.6 million to the NSW economy33. The majority of
these events were held in the Sydney LGA, mainly in the Sydney
Convention and Exhibition Centre.
For the City’s local government area, the vibrant 24/7 tourism
industry underpins the health and vitality of more than 10,000
businesses.
Using the model developed for the Tourism and Transport Forum and
looking at the most recent data from 2011 Census, the City of
Sydney’s LGA is estimated to have a total of 26,700 people directly
employed as a consequence of tourism and a further 20,320 people in
indirect employment, making a total of 47,020 people employed in
the city’s tourism industry, or around 11.0 per cent of the LGA
workforce.
Tourism jobs in the LGA make up around half of the tourism-related
jobs in metropolitan Sydney, and 15 per cent of tourism related
jobs in the state. Metropolitan Sydney has a greater proportion of
tourism employment in its workforce than any other Australian city,
reflecting its predominant gateway role34.
Tourism is a major contributor to national and international
recognition of Sydney as a great place to visit, live, work,
invest, study and stage events.
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Contemporary challenges
Global and national economic conditions Over the past decade
Australia has shifted from a net exporter of tourism to a net
importer. Now the nation imports more tourism related goods and
services than it exports. This shift was most pronounced at the
peak of the global financial crisis in 2008 and has continued
since. According to the latest Tourism Satellite Account published
by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2011–12 tourism exports
(international tourism consumption in Australia) increased by 2.1
per cent to nearly $26 billion, whereas tourism imports (tourism
consumption by Australian residents on outbound trips) increased by
5.1 per cent to almost $32 billion, creating a deficit of $6.7
billion35. Since 2002–03 the annual expenditure of outbound tourism
from Australia has more than doubled, while inbound tourism has
grown by less than 30 per cent36. This trend is expected to
continue over the next decade37.
There are a number of factors which will impact this shift. In the
past decade, the number of international tourism arrivals to
Australia has grown. However, Australia’s share of global tourism
has nominally declined from 0.7 per cent (2000) to 0.6 per cent
(2011)38. As at December 2012, NSW’s share of international
arrivals to Australia was 51 per cent in 2011. Travel decisions are
impacted by a complex and interrelated set of variables, which
differ by market, travel type and age. Some of the factors that
have impacted on the Australian tourism market include:
–Rises in oil prices have increased the cost of flights to
Australia to foreign travellers;
–The global financial crisis led to fewer leisure and business
trips;
–The historically high value of the Australian dollar which has
acted as a deterrent to potential travellers, particularly from
Europe, Britain and the US; and
–The opening up of new tourist markets in the Asia- Pacific
region39.
Conditions both locally and internationally present a range of
unique challenges to the tourism sector in Sydney. This Action Plan
recognises these challenges sets out how the City of Sydney will
work with partners to maintain and develop a vibrant tourism sector
in Sydney.
Over the long term, Tourism Australia predicts that income growth,
rather than exchange rates, will have the greatest impact on
tourism. This is likely to mean countries which recover quickly
from the global economic downturn and those that have an emerging
middle class, with growing incomes, such as China and India, will
provide the greatest growth in inbound tourists to Australia. The
Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) expects inbound tourism to
Australia from China to increase at an annual compound growth rate
of 6.4 per cent to 1,085,000 visitors between 2011–12 and
2021–2240. High rates of growth in visitor arrivals are also
expected to come from India with an annual average growth rate of
7.2 per cent and from Indonesia (5.5 per cent)41.
On the domestic front across Australia there has also been a
tendency for decline. Since 2000, both intrastate travel and
interstate travel to NSW have declined42. Over the same period,
however, outbound tourism has almost doubled. This has significant
implications from the Australian tourism market which generates 75
per cent of its income from domestic travel43.
The strong Australian dollar and attractive airfares have been
factors in making overseas travel more affordable for many people
who might otherwise have travelled within Australia. International
marketing campaigns, targeting Australian travel to destinations
such as Canada, Japan and the US, for example, have also sought to
exploit the high Australian dollar and stimulate tourism activities
in their countries which are suffering from the impacts of the
global economic downturn.
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City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
Local conditions in Sydney Sydney has strong brand awareness and an
established reputation as a ‘must-visit’ destination amongst the
world’s travellers. The attraction of Sydney is such that the city
features extensively within many international travel industry
awards list. For instance, Sydney was voted the World’s Favourite
Overseas City in the 15th Annual Conde Nast Traveller, UK Reader’s
Choice Awards. This award comes in a long list of international
honours Sydney has collected recently, including top Australasian
city for the 17th time in the recent Travel+Leisure Awards; number
one city in the Condé Nast Traveller USA Readers’ Choice Awards;
Lonely Planet’s World Best Summer City award; and one of the
World’s Best Festival and Major Events City by the International
Festival and Events Association.
While the value of inbound tourism to Australia overall has
declined over the last decade, Sydney has continued to see growth
in tourism demand since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In 2001–02 the
city hosted 63.98 million visitor nights (domestic and
international, including students)44. By 2011–12, this had grown to
77.58 million visitor nights and is anticipated to grow by 35.3 per
cent to 104.95 million visitor nights in 2020–2145.
Demand for accommodation in central Sydney has risen significantly
since 2000. Between December 2000 and December 2012, the number of
visitor arrivals has increased 37%, and the number of visitor
nights has increased 15.9%. However, tourism accommodation supply
has decreased 3.9% in this period, which has resulted in an
occupancy rate of 85.4 per cent for the year to December 2012 – one
of the highest on record for the city, and in Australia46. The city
has benefitted from increased global connectivity particularly with
visitors from East Asia – China, Indonesia and South Korea. Visitor
arrival numbers have increased by more than a third since 2000,
with an extra 1.5 million visitor nights per year.
There has been significant growth in international student nights,
which have more than doubled over the past decade from 8.5 million
in 2000 to 19.5 million in 2010. International student enrolment in
higher education, vocational and English language sectors have
experienced strong growth since 2004. This growth looks set to
continue in the coming years with increased numbers of students
from India and Asia.
In terms of International Congress and Convention Association’s
overall rankings for the number of congresses and conventions
hosted, Sydney has slipped from its global rank of 10 in 2010 to 34
in 201147 but climbed again to 24 in 2012. Similarly in the Asia
and Middle East region, Sydney’s rank has slipped from 2 in 2010 to
10 in 201148. In 2011, Melbourne surpassed Sydney with its global
ranking of 31 and Asia Pacific and Middle East ranking of
949.
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Sydney remains Australia’s top city for business events, but its
share of large international events within the Asia- Pacific region
has declined50. Singapore, possibly Sydney’s biggest competitor,
now offers four major convention centres, several of which feature
casino components. Beijing and Seoul have invested heavily in
conference infrastructure and Auckland has just announced plans for
a 3,500-seat convention centre to attract large international
business events. In recent years Melbourne has also significantly
expanded its convention and conference facilities with a view to
securing a greater market share of events. The redevelopment of
Star City (The Star) with a 4,000-seat multipurpose venue and the
construction of The Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and
Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP) capable of hosting up to 12,000
delegates, will work to reinforce Sydney’s position as a premier
conference and convention destination.
Sydney is expected to benefit from growth within the cruise ship
industry. The cruise sector now attracts 20 million travellers
worldwide, with more ships being built to meet strong global
demand51. In the 2012–13 cruise ship season, 265 cruise ships
visited Sydney Harbour compared with 214 cruise ships in 2011–12
(23 per cent increase). Growth in cruise ship visitations have
grown significantly at 76 per cent in the past two years – in
2010–11, 150 cruise ships visited52. Carnival Australia, the
country’s largest operator of travel cruise boats, expects the
local cruise industry will carry one million passengers by the year
202053.
Growing numbers of interstate and international visitors will
continue to create a demand for tourist accomodation in the City of
Sydney, especially due to the ongoing growth the cruise ship
industry and the increased importance of major business
events.
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Focus and outcomes
Role of the City The role of the City is to work with industry and
government partners to create an investment climate that allows
tourism, including eco-tourism and environmentally sensitive
tourism, to diversify, grow and develop.
Tourism helps strengthen local economies, creates jobs and delivers
broader benefits to the community by facilitating the growth of a
wider range of amenities, cafes, restaurants, attractions and shops
that would not be possible from local support alone54. Tourism also
supports a range of jobs, both full time and part time,
particularly for those traditionally disadvantaged, such as women,
youth, unskilled workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples. Tourism is one of the few industries that continued to
provide jobs and bring much-needed economic stimulus through
financially difficult times55.
Tourism is an important medium for education, social and cultural
exchange. Visitor spending also helps support public buildings,
parks and gardens, libraries and cultural infrastructure. There are
also intangible benefits that tourism can bring to a local
community. Residents often have more pride in their area if it is a
place where others wish to visit and explore. In many ways, tourism
can revitalise local areas, improve property prices and stimulate
business56.
In identifying issues of concern to the tourism sector and the
actions to mitigate their effect, this action plan has a focus on
projects that are within the control of the City.
Where issues of concern are identified but are not within the
City’s direct control, the City will advocate for change and where
appropriate, support the lead agency or organisation.
One of the desired outcomes of this action plan is a tourism sector
in Sydney that offers a range of events, attractions and
experiences ranking amongst the best in the world and are unique to
Sydney and Australia.
There are, of course, a range of issues not featured as central
tourist issues within this action plan, but which are of great
concern to Australia’s wider tourism sector – for instance,
immigration and visa processing issues. While the relevant actions
are of concern to the City, they are not within our direct control
and are therefore not addressed in this action plan.
As set out in the City of Sydney Economic Development Strategy, the
focus of projects to be delivered by the City across all of the
industry Action Plans are outlined in three strategic
priorities:
1. Strengthen Sydney’s competitiveness: through the creation of a
city that encourages business investment, attracts visitors and has
the amenity and liveliness sought after by residents and workers
now and in the future;
2. Improve productivity and capacity: through investment in the
productive and transformative and social infrastructure needed to
unlock the city from congestion, to keep people and goods moving,
to enable full participation in the workplace and to enable workers
at all levels to live close to their work; and
3. Promote opportunity: building on the strong external links and
cross sector networks, supporting the continued development of
strong industry clusters, encouraging partnerships and
collaboration and working to strengthen the entrepreneurial and
small business community within the City.
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Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
Focus for action The Tourism Action Plan sets out three areas in
which the City will focus its activities. Projects grouped in these
areas respond to the issues, challenges and opportunities
identified by the research and consultation undertaken by the City
in 2011 and 2012. The three areas of focus are:
–Destination development – encourage the development of product and
infrastructure;
–Destination management – enhance the quality of the visitor
experience; and
–Destination marketing – strengthen partnerships to maximise
visitor potential.
The City’s Economic Development Strategy identifies a number of
common themes that will be addressed in each of the action plans.
Projects included in this action plan will address:
–Support for entrepreneurs, new business and small business;
–Sustainability initiatives;
–Knowledge and innovation; and
–Increase the support for attracting International Students, their
families and visitors (workers and tourists) from Asia.
The next sections of the action plan set out in more detail the
three areas of focus and the major projects to be delivered. More
detail on all the projects can be found in Appendix 1, which
provides a full breakdown of actions and also provides detail
regarding partnership working and timeframe.
Outcomes A desired outcome from this action plan is the recognition
of Sydney as Australia’s premier tourist destination ahead of other
Australian capital cities and as a regional leader in Asia
Pacific.
Another desired outcome is a tourism sector that offers a range of
diverse events, attractions and experiences that rank amongst the
best in the world and are unique to Sydney and Australia, as well
as a sector that leverages opportunities and markets itself to new
and emerging markets such as China and India.
High-quality tourism facilities, greener accommodation and
transport infrastructure that supports and sustains growing numbers
of domestic and international tourists, will also be increasingly
sought.
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Destination development
Why we need to act In terms of capacity to support the tourism
sector, Sydney currently has a hotel occupancy rate of 85.4 per
cent and over the past decade fewer than five new large hotels have
opened57. In fact, since the Sydney Olympics, there has been an
overall decline in the number of hotel rooms available in the city,
despite significantly greater numbers of visitor nights. Many older
hotels such as the Chevron, Sebel Townhouse and Rex have been
withdrawn from the hotel market and converted to high-end
residential apartments. New hotels have not been built due to
competing demands for land and the large capital investment
required constructing them. There is a particular shortage in the
3–3.5 star range as well as in the diversity of product on offer in
terms of boutique accommodation58. Different industry forecasts
estimate that somewhere between 5,000 and 9,000 additional hotel
rooms are required in the next decade to meet the demand of growing
tourist numbers in Sydney59.
Sydney has long-standing and successful tourism products like the
Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Bridge Climb, Taronga
Zoo, Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife Sydney, harbour cruises and the
Sydney Tower, but to remain competitive, it needs to invest in new
products to target new markets and offer a new experience to return
visitors.
Globally, cities have had to continually invest in established
tourist precincts to ensure they remain desirable and competitive
and create new ones when redevelopment opportunities occur. It is
critical to encourage the rejuvenation of a city’s obsolescent
buildings/areas in key destination precincts by stimulating market
dynamics and supporting a regularly maintained public
infrastructure and refurbishment/renewal works program.
The City of Sydney will aim to develop strong Village precincts
that offer unique tourism experiences outside of the city
centre.
In London, this has resulted in the development of the South Bank
arts precinct; in Melbourne, the result has been Federation Square
and in New York, Times Square has undergone significant redesign to
become more pedestrian friendly. Sydney has some highly successful
tourist areas such as The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Pitt Street Mall, Chinatown and Darling Harbour. The
success of these areas will be measured on their capacity to remain
desirable destinations and therefore new and ongoing investment
will be required. The redevelopment of Barangaroo and the Sydney
International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct
(SICEEP) offer Sydney a unique opportunity to create experiences
and attractions which appeal to the business and leisure tourist
market. The Village precincts outside the centre of Sydney also
have a significant role to play, with each uniquely different and
possessing the ability to attract tourists with diverse cultural,
retail and business offerings.
Sydney’s appeal as a destination for large-scale conferences and
conventions is determined by its capacity to offer world-class
facilities and infrastructure which can accommodate large groups
and service the needs of conference producers in relation to
communications, technology and catering. The construction of SICEEP
is therefore crucial in reinforcing Sydney’s position as a premier
conference and convention destination. Other Australian cities,
such as Melbourne, have recently invested significantly in
improvements to their conference facilities, while countries such
as Singapore have emerged as regional leaders in the global
conference market. Due to this increasing competition both national
and internationally, partners must work innovatively to retain and
attract a greater number of conferences and business events to
Sydney.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
Hotels and conference centres are critical parts of the built
infrastructure that service the tourism sector and are resource
intensive. Available estimates of the environmental footprint
indicate over 365,000 tonnes of GHG emissions from energy used,
more than 1,800 megalitres of water used and more than 85
megalitres of waste generated per annum from within the City of
Sydney LGA60. Continuing at these rates is unsustainable and if
unaddressed, will have negative consequences on the environment and
community in the long term.
Currently, there is also emerging demand for sustainable tourism
options in the business events industry where customers are
demanding improved environmental performance by tourism
accommodation providers and facilities to satisfy their own
corporate responsibility goals. To capture and grow this lucrative
market, tourism product and service providers in the city will need
to deliver greater sustainable tourism options and also capitalise
on the ‘green consumer’ tourism market by offering accommodation
options that reflect sustainable design and management.
What we will do The City will work to develop Sydney as a
destination through a wide range of interconnected actions, of
which greater detail is given within Appendix 1;
Developing capacity
The City has a role to play in the development of Sydney as a
tourist destination. Our focus will be on the investment in new
environmentally sustainable tourist infrastructure, and improving
the quality of the public domain in main tourism areas.
The City will advocate to other levels of government and the
property sector to increase the levels of new hotel accommodation,
particularly in the 3–4 star range, throughout the city, but
particularly in the city centre and urban renewal areas.
We will also work with the NSW Government to leverage tourism
opportunities from the redevelopment of the Sydney Entertainment
and Convention Centre to improve the City’s capacity to host
large-scale concerts, conferences, exhibitions and conventions. The
City will also work with partners to support the Barangaroo
Development, which is expected to include a hotel, residential
apartments, office building(s), cultural and civic facilities and
increased transport infrastructure and services.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Developing city areas
We will work closely with other levels of government and statutory
authorities to ensure that the management of key tourist precincts,
including the CBD, Haymarket, Rocks, Darling Harbour, the Botanic
Gardens and Circular Quay, is better integrated to improve the
tourism experience for visitors.
We will work with local businesses and stakeholder groups to
develop strong Village precincts that offer unique and authentic
tourism experiences outside of the city centre. We will also work
with local business partnerships and chambers of commerce to
develop local tourism information, infrastructure and experiences
within the City’s villages.
Developing connections
We will work with Destination NSW and other agencies such as the
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Sydney Ports Corporation to
ensure facilities for passenger cruise ships can cope with expected
increased capacity. We will also ensure inbound cruise ship
passengers are provided with high-quality information about the
city.
We will also work with the operators of Sydney’s domestic and
international airport and the NSW and Federal Governments to
introduce measures that allow for increased capacity, while
balancing the needs of local residents and business owners.
Developing sustainably
The City will lead by example and drive demand by reviewing its own
policies and procedures including green event guidelines,
accommodation and business event procurement, sponsorship and venue
operating standards.
We will engage with the sector on environmental aspects and
investigate the options of forming a Green Tourism Working Group
and the development of a centralised website with relevant
sustainability information for key industry stakeholders.
The City will investigate information barriers in the market. We
will review current, sometimes confusing environmental
accreditation schemes and investigate the development of
performance indicators to determine options for environmental
information disclosure.
Developing communities and business
The City will work with partners within the business and education
sectors to increase capacity within the City’s communities and
businesses to better support and capitalise on the growth of the
tourism sector.
We will also work to ensure development of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples’ tourism infrastructure and
experiences.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Sustaining capacity and building economic growth through events
management
The City will work with partners to improve the integrated
management of year around business, retail, cultural and tourist
events, business conferences and tailored events packages to
attract international and domestic visitors. The objective is to
support underlying demand for existing and new hotels resulting in
higher occupancy levels as well as stimulate visitor and retail
economic growth.
Developing reasons to visit
The City will work with partners to increase the number of
conferences and business events held within Sydney every year. We
will also continue to support high-profile events which attract
tourists to Sydney and raise the City’s profile
internationally.
We recognise the importance of Sydney’s retail offer as one driver
of visits to Sydney. We will work with all our partners within the
retail sector to position Sydney as Australia’s premier retail
destination with a shopping experience in the city centre that
matches those found in comparable global cities.
Major projects Examples of some of the major initiatives we will
undertake to support destination development in Sydney
include:
–The investment of $1.5 million with Business Events Sydney to
attract a greater number of conferences and business events to
Sydney during 2014–16, increasing the number of business-related
visits to the city;
–The transformation of George Street to include light rail,
pedestrianisation, wider footpaths, outdoor dining and open public
space to increase options for public transport and cycling and to
improve the way visitors navigate the city centre;
–Continuing the substantial upgrade to the public domain in
Chinatown already underway, including the installation of new
seating, lighting, public art, footpath treatments and road design
to ease congestion, improve appearance and increase perceptions of
safety for visitors;
–Delivering programs such as ChinaConnect to help City businesses
develop their understanding of the Chinese visitor market;
and
–Through our Late Night Economy projects we will introduce new
initiatives in the City’s Late Night areas, such as Oxford Street,
Kings Cross and George Street, to ensure they develop in a way that
is environmentally and socially sustainable and seek to balance the
needs of residents, workers and visitors in the long term.
Details of all the projects and programs can be found at Appendix
1.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Destination management
Why we need to act Our research tells us that a number of factors
impact on the experience of visiting tourists in Sydney, including:
the diversity and quality of accommodation; the availability of
information on tourist related experiences; ease in getting around,
including signage; opening hours of tourist attractions;
cleanliness of the public domain; perceptions of safety; the
quality of the retail offering and the presentation of shops; the
diversity and quality of restaurants, bars and entertainment
venues; accessibility to public transport, transport options
including bike lanes and footpaths; the range and availability of
cultural institutions, festivals and events the city has to
offer.
By 2030, the resident population of the city is anticipated to
increase by 62,000 people, while the number of workers is set to
increase by over 16 per cent61. The continued growth in the number
of businesses, houses and residents within the city presents
challenges in relation to managing the visitor experience and the
way visitors interact in the city environment. Every week new buses
are added to the Sydney network to cope with additional demand.
These additional buses are currently causing bottleneck issues with
traffic at locations throughout the city.
In addition, congestion on the CityRail network as a result of
increased carriages, services and passenger numbers means that
despite improvements to technology, trains now move slower than
they did a decade ago. Wynyard and Town Hall stations are at near
capacity and will be unable to cope with the long-term projected
demand under the current network conditions. Unaddressed, more
people and vehicles will lead to increased levels of congestion,
pollution, noise and the time spent travelling from one part of the
city to another.
The City of Sydney will continue to develop how we manage key areas
of Sydney to ensure the city continually meets the expectations of
all visitors.
Every day in the City LGA it is estimated there are more than one
million walking trips made by residents, workers and visitors. In
successful, pedestrian-friendly areas like Pitt Street Mall,
Circular Quay and Martin Place, pedestrians can move with ease and
are unencumbered by high volumes of vehicles. In main pedestrian
link locations such as George Street, however, large numbers of
pedestrians are crammed onto narrow footpaths and compete with
trucks, buses, taxis and other vehicles as they navigate past
significant tourist destinations, including Sydney Town Hall, St
Andrew’s Cathedral, the Queen Victoria Building and World
Square.
Research undertaken as part of the Visitor Information Services
Review identified that tourists visiting Sydney find it hard to
orientate themselves around the city. In many cases, pedestrians
move up and down George Street but are unable to make sense of the
connection points to other destinations such as the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Hyde Park and Darling Harbour.
The city is home to several significant late-night areas – Kings
Cross, the city centre, Oxford Street, the Rocks and Darling
Harbour. These zones attract both domestic and international
tourists and the experience they offer tourists impacts on Sydney’s
global reputation. Extensive community consultation undertaken by
the City during 2011 highlighted to the need to better manage these
spaces to increase perceptions of safety amongst tourists and the
movement of people from one destination to another.
The City needs to work now to address congestion in the city and on
public transport, improve linkages between key tourist locations
and improve signage and orientation to assist tourists move around
the city.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
What we will do The City will develop how we manage key areas of
Sydney to ensure the city continually meets the expectations of
visitors. We will do this through a wide range of interconnected
actions, of which greater detail is given within Appendix 1.
Managing city environment
The City plays a key role in maintaining the standard and quality
of the city streets and public areas through ongoing maintenance
and upgrade programs, cleansing services and beautification through
floral displays. We will continue to deliver these important
services that contribute to the overall experience of visitors to
Sydney.
The City has a role to play in the management of the city’s public
domain and ensuring increased community safety and perceptions of
safety, particularly at night.
We will work to increase CCTV coverage and work with the NSW police
to ensure visitor safety, and also we will put in place a range of
mechanisms to manage the movement of visitors and residents
throughout the city.
Managing visitor navigation
Through our design program, we will seek to improve the quality and
functionality of key meeting points and destinations for tourists
in the city, such as Chinatown, Taylor Square and Pitt Street Mall,
as well as ensure that they better cater for various groups like
families and people from different cultural backgrounds.
In order to improve amenity, we will invest in high quality urban
design initiatives – for example, better lighting, signage and
landscaping.
The City will also seek to improve the movement of people on city
footpaths. We will invest in high-quality signage and way-finding
projects throughout the city to help visitors find their way and
provide any information needed about a particular location. We will
also undertake public domain improvements to better meet the needs
of pedestrians, particularly those who are frail, aged or living
with a disability.
Managing visitor arrivals
We will improve the quality and scope of tourist services for
cruise ship passengers and improve the availability and range of
information for visitors arriving at Sydney International
Airport.
Managing visitor transport
We will support the NSW Government in delivering an increased range
of transport options throughout Sydney including the introduction
of light rail in the city, down the George Street spine, around
Barangaroo and beyond to help to ease congestion at important
stations in the network such as Wynyard, Martin Place, Town Hall
and Central Station and integrate major transport and activity
hubs. We will also continue to work with the NSW Government on the
pedestrianisation of a substantial portion of George Street.
Managing visitor feedback
We will work with partners to monitor the level of tourist
satisfaction in the LGA and ensure that this feedback is
incorporated into City of Sydney decisions regarding the tourism
sector.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Major projects Major initiatives to support the management of
tourist destinations in Sydney include:
– Enhancing our visitor information services to deliver
strategically located visitor information centres and kiosks, a
roving ambassador program and quality information helping tourists
maximise their stay;
–Working with the NSW Government to address bus congestion at major
train stations in the city;
–Work with the NSW Government to introduce light rail into the city
centre and pedestrian-friendly measures for a significant portion
of George Street;
– Introducing a way-finding and signage code to deliver clear and
consistent information to direct people to popular destinations
based on the innovative and effective ‘Legible London’ project;
and
–Monitoring the level of tourist satisfaction in the LGA through
surveys which will include visitor impressions of the city and its
villages, visitor servicing, signage, attractions and the
likelihood of a return visit.
Details of all the projects and programs can be found in Appendix
1.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Destination marketing
Why we need to act Sydney is competing in a global marketplace for
increasingly discerning tourists. The factors that lead a tourist
to choose one location over another are often complex and
influenced by how attractive the destination is, the friendliness
of its people, interesting and diverse cultures, ease of access,
weather, exchange rates and cost – as well as their own levels of
disposable income. One of the most significant factors for any
destination, however, are the attractions and experiences which
draw people there. Paris has the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame and the
Louvre; Hong Kong has night markets, shopping and exotic foods;
Melbourne has street art, active laneways and high- quality public
art. Sydney benefits from its unique physical environment; a
beautiful harbour, beaches and reserves and iconic buildings and
infrastructure such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour
Bridge. It is largely this physical environment offering that has
historically drawn tourists to Sydney.
Sydney already has a unique range of tourist products aimed at
different types of tourists including cruises on Sydney Harbour,
the opportunity to experience indigenous flora and fauna and the
Bridge Climb. Sydney also hosts world-class cultural events and
festivals, including the internationally renowned Sydney New Year’s
Eve fireworks; the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside
China; the Sydney Festival; Sydney Writers’ Festival; Sydney Film
Festival; Sydney Mardi Gras; Sydney Fringe Festival; the Biennale
of Sydney and Art and About.
The City of Sydney will ensure that Sydney is able to capitalise on
new and emerging travel markets such as those developing in China
and India.
Sydney is competing for tourists on a number of fronts. In relation
to domestic tourists who might be travelling to Sydney for leisure,
they are seeking an experience, event or attraction. For first-time
visitors, the appeal of Sydney might rest on those traditionally
marketed images and experiences. For return visitors, this
experience will need to be a combination of the things they know
and love about the city, combined with new or unique reasons to
visit. This might be a new show, exhibition, shopping experience,
hotel, sporting event or other attraction. In relation to people
travelling domestically, Sydney is competing with other Australian
capital cities such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Changes in exchange rates, the high cost of travel within Australia
and rapid developments within the tourism offering of other
countries within the Asia-Pacific region have meant Australia is
now increasingly competing with places such as New Zealand,
Indonesia, Thailand, Bali and parts of China for international
tourists. If people can get what they think is a comparable
product, for a cheaper rate and with greater ease and travel time,
they will. Sydney risks losing international traveller visitation
as people seek a cheaper option, closer to home.
To draw new domestic and international tourists and return
visitors, Sydney needs to maintain the experiences for which the
city is renowned, and also create new ones which position the city
ahead of the competition in terms of unique experiences. Sydney
must also capitalise on new and emerging travel markets such as
those developing in China and India as a result of the new middle
class.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
What we will do The City will work with key partners to market
Sydney through a wide range of measures locally, nationally and
internationally, of which greater detail is given within Appendix
1.
Marketing to visitors in the city
We will provide a variety of tourism material at information points
across the LGA which promote a range of tourism experiences,
including new and emerging activities. We will also invest in new
technology, such as smartphone applications, to assist tourists to
access information about the city, the experiences on offer and how
to get there.
We will work with Destination NSW and the city’s major hotels to
ensure marketing, conference and concierge officers have all the
information they need to promote Sydney’s experiences and
attractions to tourists before they visit and after they have
arrived.
Marketing Sydney’s experiences
The City has a role to play in delivering and marketing great
experiences for domestic and international visitors to the city.
Our focus will be on the variety of experiences on offer and how
they are marketed, along with their uniqueness to Sydney and the
promotion of a wider range of outdoor activities that takes
advantage of our more sunny, temperate climate and the unique range
of Australian gourmet foods and wine on offer.
We will also continue to deliver and market major events which
contribute to the liveliness of the city and draw people to visit,
including Sydney New Year’s Eve, Christmas and Sydney Chinese New
Year Festival. We will also continue our support for major
festivals, events and celebrations that support tourism including
the Sydney Festival, the Biennale of Sydney, the Sydney Film
Festival, the Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Sydney Fringe
Festival.
We will continue to work with Destination NSW to both secure and
market high-quality international events and first-run premieres of
musicals, before other Australian cities and provide a consistent
branding message.
Marketing Sydney globally
The City has in place a partnership with Destination NSW to promote
Sydney as a destination of choice in both domestic and
international markets through a variety of ways. This includes
local and international marketing campaigns through media channels
as well as strategic partnerships.
We will support the work of Business Events Sydney to attract and
retain large conferences and conventions in Sydney and seek to
supplement tourist troughs during the year and will raise hotel
occupancy levels, drive increased spend by delegates on hotels,
bars, restaurants and shops in the city. We will also partner with
significant conferences with a large contingent of international
delegates and help to increase the city’s global exposure. The City
will also work with partners to increase support for attracting
international students, their families and visitors (business
people and tourists) from Asia.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
Major projects Major projects to that focus on Destination
Marketing for Sydney include:
–We will continue to produce, in partnership with Destination NSW
The Official Guide to Sydney booklet available to tourists at
Sydney Airport (domestic and international), as well as information
kiosks at Circular Quay, The Rocks, Town Hall and Haymarket;
–We will continue to work with the producers of major festivals and
events to leverage tourism and retail opportunities for city
businesses;
–We will continue to develop our What’s On website and make space
available for events and experiences that are unique to Sydney and
attractive to potential tourists; and
–Our investment will continue in the development of marketing
material that promote the City’s unique villages, which add to the
quality and diversity of both the domestic and international
tourist experience.
Details of all the projects and programs can be found in Appendix
1.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Measuring success
Overview The actions set out in this plan have been devised to
create a conducive environment for tourism businesses to
flourish.
It is understood that the success of the tourism sector in Sydney
will be influenced by the actions set out in this action plan and a
range of factors as diverse as global economic conditions,
Australian macroeconomic policy, technological trends, and the
actions of individual tourism operators.
Nevertheless, it is important to understand and monitor broad
trends in the sector and use this information to review and
influence priorities and actions.
Indicator framework The City of Sydney has developed a community
indicator framework –a multidimensional approach to measuring
wellbeing which addresses the combination and intersection of
social, economic, environmental, cultural and governance conditions
that exist in the city.
The indicators used to track change in the tourism sector will
contribute to the community level indicator – dynamic, resilient
local economies.
Tourism indicators From the city’s indicator framework there are
two key indicators and nine measures to gauge the contribution of
to the city’s economy and how it might change over time. These are
outlined in the table below.
This information is collected every five years and while it is
quantitative in nature, can be supported by other data sources
collected by Destination NSW and Tourism Australia, which are both
qualitative and quantitative in assessment.
Additional city indicators may be developed over time as new
information sources are identified.
The table at Appendix 2 sets out the indicators, the desired trend
or target and the frequency for reporting.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Implementation and monitoring
Implementation The projects identified in this action plan
(Appendix 1) are high level, requiring greater definition and
resources allocated for their delivery.
The City is aware that while there is a desire (and need) for
immediate action and outcomes. This must be balanced with
resources, capacity and competing priorities.
The projects included in this action plan have been prioritised
according to current circumstances and indicative timeframes, and
their activation identified as follows identified as follows:
Now – projects and programs underway or starting in the near
future;
Next – project and programs commencing in the medium term;
and
Later – projects and programs to start in the medium to longer
term.
Start dates for projects led by the City will be confirmed on an
annual basis as they are further developed and budgets and
resources allocated for their delivery.
Review and monitoring This action plan is based on the findings of
extensive research and consultation done in 2011 and 2012. It also
takes account of the recommendations arising from the NSW
Government’s response to the Visitor Economy Taskforce
report.
However, the tourism environment is dynamic, and projects and
priorities will change. Identified projects may not be required and
new priorities will emerge.
Progress on the identified projects will be reported on an annual
basis.
Progress toward the achievement of targets or the identification of
trends will be reported on an annual basis, albeit some data will
not be refreshed this frequently.
Priorities will be assessed annually based on the outcomes achieved
and as new information on the needs of the sector become
available.
A major review will be undertaken to coincide with the end of the
first five years of the action plan.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Appendix 1 Actions
1. Destination development
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
DEVELOPING CAPACITY
Provide an investment and regulatory environment for the City of
Sydney that supports and encourages private investment in
accommodation facilities
Advocate to other levels of government and the property sector to
increase the level of new hotel accommodation in the City, across a
range of classifications.
NSW Government Tourism Accommodation Industry Property
Industry
Continue to work with Destination NSW, Department of Planning and
Infrastructure to review and improve a stronger policy framework
that provides greater support to the tourism industry that examines
planning controls, provides development incentives, removes
regulatory impediments, etc.
Destination NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure
Work with partners to encourage appropriate conservation and
adaptive re-use of heritage buildings within the city for visitor
accommodation and other tourism-related uses where it is consistent
with the heritage significance of the building.
NSW Government Tourism Accommodation Industry Property
Industry
Through the established Memorandums University of Technology, of
Understanding (MOUs) with the Sydney city’s major universities,
explore how University of Sydney to increase the supply of student
accommodation provided both on and off campus for international
students.
University of New South Wales
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
Assist the State Assist the Department of Finance and Destination
NSW Government in Services’ Property Asset Utilisation Department
of Finance completing an audit of Taskforce complete their
Government and Services Government property property audit in
Sydney CBD and key in Sydney CBD and key tourism precincts to
identify potential tourism precincts opportunities for tourist
accommodation
developments.
Capitalise on the tourism potential of urban renewal sites and key
development precincts in the city
Support the tourism potential of the city’s key urban renewal sites
through support and advocacy for the development of critical
tourist infrastructure, including: – High-quality accommodation at
Barangaroo;
–The redevelopment of Darling Harbour; –Cultural spaces and
amenities of varying scales that enhance the ‘Cultural Ribbon’
around the harbour; and
–Completing the harbour foreshore walk at Barangaroo and
Blackwattle Bay
Barangaroo Development Authority Lend Lease NSW Government
Infrastructure NSW Destination NSW Office of Environment and
Heritage
Support the NSW Government in investigating the feasibility and
location of new cultural facilities and infrastructure for
Sydney.
Arts NSW Destination NSW
Advocate to the Barangaroo Development Authority (BDA), the NSW
Government and Lend Lease that proposals for the site’s
triple-ferry wharf and light rail services are delivered, and that
direct transport services are provided to the area.
Barangaroo Development Authority Lend Lease NSW Government
Increase the capacity Work collaboratively with the NSW NSW
Government of the city to host Government on the redevelopment
Infrastructure NSW large-scale concerts, conferences and
of the Sydney Entertainment and Convention Centre to improve the
SHFA
conventions size, quality and responsiveness of the concert,
conference, exhibition and convention infrastructure to ensure that
Sydney is better positioned to secure large domestic and
international events.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
DEVELOPING CITY AREAS
Invest in public domain improvements, infrastructure and services
to enhance the attractiveness of central Sydney as a
destination
In conjunction with the NSW Government, pedestrianise parts of
George Street and deliver light rail as part of the Transforming
Sydney project. The project will improve the pedestrian experience
in central Sydney through the transformation of George Street into
a pedestrian boulevard and a central spine, the opening up of
laneways and cross streets, the investigation of new squares and
civic spaces and advocating for pedestrians priority at
intersections.
NSW Government Property owners Retail and hospitality
businesses
Encourage the rejuvenation of obsolescent buildings/areas in key
destination precincts by stimulating market dynamics and supporting
a regularly maintained public infrastructure and
refurbishment/renewal works program.
Property owners
Support NSW Government’s Destination NSW endeavours to ensure
Destination Management Plans address demand and supply, policy and
planning issues.
Develop central Sydney as an accessible city that encourages
families and others to visit more frequently. Continue to provide
new or improved kerb ramps, accessible transport facilities and
amenities.
NSW Government
Continue to activate underutilised Property and laneways and
support fine grain business owners retail spaces through public
domain improvements and working with land owners and creative
enterprise.
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
Further develop the tourism potential of Sydney’s tourist precincts
and villages
Work in an integrated manner with government and statutory
authority partners to improve the tourism experience for visitors
at key tourist precincts including the CBD, Haymarket, Rocks,
Darling Harbour, the Botanic Gardens and Circular Quay.
Work with local businesses and NSW Government stakeholder groups to
develop local SHFA tourism infrastructure within the City’s Village
precincts that offer unique and authentic visitor experiences
outside the
Cultural and arts organisations
city centre. Local business operators and associations
Work with the NSW Government, NSW Government tourism operators,
cultural and arts SHFA organisations and local business operators
and associations to develop Walsh Bay/Dawes Point as a
cultural
Cultural and arts organisations
DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS
Increase the capacity Work with partners to manage NSW Government
and quality of passenger cruise ship arrivals to Cruise ship
operators passenger cruise ship increase Sydney’s profile as a
Destination NSW arrival facilities destination point for domestic
and
international cruise liners. SHFA NSW Maritime Sydney Ports
Corporation Surrounding councils
Manage the growth of Advocate to the Federal Government Federal
Government Sydney’s airports and Sydney Airport to
sustainably
manage the growth of the airports and the expansion of operating
hours, flight paths and runways to ensure visitor demand is
addressed in a way that balances the needs of visitors, local
residents and businesses
Airport operators
Improve intrastate and interstate public transport links to
Sydney
Advocate to the NSW Government to improve the speed, number,
quality and volume of rail services from rural and regional NSW,
particularly from key locations such as the Central Coast,
Newcastle and Wollongong.
NSW Government Federal Government
Continue to work with the NSW and NSW Government Federal Government
to ensure visitor Federal Government needs and access to key
visitor precincts and event destinations are addressed in the NSW
Government’s Long Term Transport Master Plan.
Capitalise on the Investigate opportunities and NSW Government
growing cruise ship implement initiatives to help City Cruise ship
operators industry businesses capitalise on the growing
tourism market stemming from the cruise ship industry
Destination NSW SHFA NSW Maritime Sydney Ports Corporation
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLY
Review and enhance City of Sydney policies and procedures relating
to sustainability within the tourism sector
Review our policies and procedures and establish corporate green
event and food guidelines, accommodation and business event
procurement standards and sponsorship standards. These include: –
Ethical Food Guidelines (in place) – Sustainable Event Management
Policy (in place)
– Environmental Management Plan (in place)
– Sustainable Procurement Policy – Sustainable Procurement
Guideline – Environmental Management System
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
Assist the sector to create baseline data, develop emission
reduction strategies and transparently report on their
performance
Undertake a carbon footprint study and develop interim targets in
the tourism sector.
Work with partners to investigate: Tourism Australia –Forming a
Green Tourism working Destination NSW Group; and Office of
Environment and
–Developing a centralised website Heritage providing relevant
sustainability Sydney Harbour Foreshore information.
Authority
Tourism Research Australia Australian Hotels Association Business
Events Sydney Tourism and Transport Forum Earthcheck Retail
businesses
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
City of Sydney Tourism Action Plan
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
Assist the sector to Investigate options to establish a public
Tourism Australia create baseline data, monitoring and reporting
framework for Destination NSW develop emission reduction strategies
and transparently report on
environmental performance and review and identification of relevant
green accreditation schemes.
Office of Environment and Heritage
their performance Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Tourism
Research Australia Australian Hotels Association Business Events
Sydney Tourism and Transport Forum Earthcheck Retail
businesses
Identify Policy Undertake an analysis of the policy levers as
drivers levers available to drive improved for environmental
environmental performance improvement for tourism operators
including
incentives for meeting agreed sustainability standards.
DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESS
Increase capacity within Support Sydney’s tourism related Business
owners the City’s communities businesses through programs that and
operators and businesses to enable them to take further advantage
better support the of critical tourist growth markets, such tourism
sector as our China Connect program.
Development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’
tourism infrastructure and experiences and visitor economy
employment opportunities
Work with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel
and others to develop cultural tourism infrastructure that seeks to
educate, investigate and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples’ history and culture as part of our Eora Journey
project.
Support Industry and Government NSW Government initiatives to
promote and develop Federal Government career opportunities for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees in visitor economy
occupations within Sydney.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel Cultural organisations
Businesses
Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected
Tourism Action PlanTourism Action PlanCity of Sydney
What we will do? How will we do it? Who are the partners we need to
make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
SUSTAINING CAPACITY AND BUILDING ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH EVENTS
MANAGEMENT
Support underlying demand for existing and new hotels resulting in
higher occupancy levels as well as stimulate visitor and retail
economic growth
The City will work with partners to improve the integrated
management of year around business, retail, cultural and tourist
events, business conferences and tailored events packages to
attract international and domestic visitors.
Support development of a long term, comprehensive events and
festivals strategy for NSW
Continue to work with Destination NSW and other partners to assist
their efforts on developing a long term comprehensive state-wide
events and festivals strategy that includes major and smaller
events and festivals.
Destination NSW
Support high-profile events and business conferences which attract
visitors to Sydney and raise the City’s profile
internationally
Invest $1.5 million during 2014–16 and work with Business Events
Sydney to secure an increasing number of conferences and business
events held within Sydney.
Business Events Sydney
Continue to work with Destination NSW to secure high-quality
international events and first-run premiere musicals to Sydney,
ahead of other Australian and international cities.
Destination NSW
Continue to support arts and cultural organisations to deliver
internationally recognised festivals and events which act as
catalysts to drive visitors to Sydney including the Sydney
Festival, Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Sydney Film Festival,
Sydney Mardi Gras, Biennale of Sydney and the Sydney Fringe
Festival.
Arts and cultural organisations
Work with retail partners to position Sydney as Australia’s premier
retail destination, with a shopping experience in the city that
matches those found in comparable global cities
Continue to work with and provide support to the Retail Advisory
Panel, established to provide the City with strategic advice on the
future direction of retailing.
Retail Advisory Panel NSW Government Retailers
Explore ways to support the development and growth of entrepreneurs
and new businesses in the retail sector, including: –The
encouragement of pop-up retail outlets for the testing of products
in development; and
–Incubator spaces for emerging creative enterprise.
Support reform of the GST Tourist Refund Scheme
Advocate to the Federal Government to reform Australia’s GST
Tourist Refund Scheme to allow competition by private refund
operators that will drive tourist shopping and product development
to international visitors and allow reimbursement whilst visitors
are still in Australia.
Retailers, Business Chambers, Industry Associations
Who are the partners we need to make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
MANAGING CITY ENVIRONMENT Maintain the city streets and public
areas
Increase community safety and perceptions of safety, particularly
at night
Continue to maintain our network of CCTV cameras and install new
ones in areas as appropriate, working closely with the NSW Police
Force to monitor the footage across the network and respond to
public safety issues.
NSW Police Force NSW Government
Deliver the OPEN Sydney: Late Night Economy Action Plan, putting in
place mechanisms to manage the movement of visitors and residents
throughout the city at night, particularly in entertainment hot
spots such as Kings Cross, George Street and Oxford Street.
NSW Government
Work with accommodation providers, educational institutions and
licensed venue operators to increase their knowledge and capacity
to provide advice to visitors in relation to personal safety,
access to public transport and movement between accommodation and
tourist destinations.
Accommodation sector Universities and colleges AHA NSW
Government
Improve the way in which visitors navigate around the city
Work with partners to develop a way-finding strategy and a signage
code to provide consistent direction and advice to visitors as they
move around the city and to and from tourist hot spots.
Destination NSW Transport NSW SHFA Retailers Access advocacy
groups
Collaborate with Destination NSW in the development of
digital-based visitor information that facilitates way
finding.
Destination NSW
Destination NSW SHFA Transport for NSW
MANAGING VISITOR ARRIVALS
Improve the quality and scope of tourist services for cruise ship
passengers
Explore how visitor information services and ‘meet and greet’
facilities can be implemented and improved at the Overseas
Passenger Terminal and White Bay during the cruise ship
season.
Cruise Ship Operators Destination NSW SHFA Ports Authority
Work with cruise ship operators to provide DVD and online
information about Sydney to cruise ship passengers and crew prior
to arrival at port.
Destination NSW Cruise ship operators
Continue to work with Destination NSW and the retail industry to
encourage cruise ship passengers to access Sydney’s retail
market.
Destination NSW Retailers Cruise ship operators
What we will do? How will we do it?
Who are the partners we need to make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
Improve the quality and scope of tourist services for visitors
arriving at Sydney International Airport
Work with partners to improve the quality and availability of
tourist information at Sydney International Airport.
Destination NSW SHFA Sydney Airport
Work with partners to explore provision of a coordinated welcome
for international students to Sydney.
Universities and colleges
MANAGING VISITOR TRANSPORT
Increase the range of public transport options available to
visitors and the ease in which they can access them
Support the NSW Government in delivering an increased range of
public transport options throughout Sydney, including light rail,
as proposed within the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan.
NSW Government
Advocate to the NSW Government to improve customer experience on
public transport and a more integrated transport precinct through
the City Centre Access Plan.
NSW Government
Support and assist in the implementation of the City Centre Access
Plan.
NSW Government Work in partnership with the NSW Government through
the CSTTC (Central Sydney Traffic and Transport Committee) to
improve coach and taxi infrastructure within Central Sydney.
NSW Government
Advocate to the NSW Government to reduce the ticket prices for
access to both the domestic and international airport terminal
stations to encourage visitors to use public transport to enter and
exit the city.
NSW Government Sydney Airport
Continue to invest in the development of our cycled paths network
to allow visitors to cycle around the city and make connections
with other bike networks to tourist attractions such as Bondi
Beach, Centennial Park and Taronga Zoo.
Neighbouring councils
Deliver the goals of OPEN Sydney: Future Directions for Sydney at
Night strategy. This will increase night public transport options,
improve safety, ease of use and availability of taxis, security,
information for users, multi-hiring and taxi services at night and
improve information systems for car parking availability &
bicycle access at night.
NSW Government Taxi Operators
Support Transport for NSW endeavours to increase the frequency and
hours of operation of late-night public transport services during
major events.
NSW Government
Monitor visitor satisfaction levels, and ensure feedback is
incorporated into City of Sydney decision making processes
Work with partners to monitor the level of tourist satisfaction in
the LGA through surveys which will include visitor impressions of
the city and its villages, visitor servicing, signage, attractions
and the likelihood of a return visit, and ensure that this feedback
is incorporated into City of Sydney decision making
processes.
Destination NSW SHFA
3. Destination marketing
Who are the partners we need to make it happen?
On going Now Next Later
MARKETING TO VISITORS IN THE CITY
Develop, deliver and distribute high-quality tourist information
and positioning Sydney as a world- class, unique tourist and retail
destination
Work with Destination NSW to support a dedicated visitor servicing
entity for Sydney. The Government’s aspirations for this entity are
that it includes the establishment of free wifi information
hotspots in the City, provision of improved public transport
information, smartphone apps, and purpose designed brochures.
Work with partners to review the role, location and operation of
traditional visitor information centres located throughout the
city.
Destination NSW SHFA
In partnership with Destination NSW, SHFA, tourism operators and
businesses, support the provision of tourist information including
the Official Guide to Sydney, and information on transport and
access to cultural facilities and events.
Destination NSW
Support Destination NSW in their efforts to develop and implement
cultural awareness, customer service and quality assurance training
programs in educational institutions and Government.
Destination NSW Business operators
Work with partners to increase support for attracting international
students, their families and visitors (business people and
tourists) from Asia.
Destination NSW Universities and Other Tertiary Educational
Institutions
Ensure marketing collateral is translated into multiple languages
to service the needs of visitors from growth markets including
China, Korea, Indonesia and India. This includes marketing
opportunities where there may be tax advantages and cheaper
travelling and shopping opportunities in Sydney where luxury
fashion and travel magazines can promote these travel and retail
opportunities as part of a consistent, high profile branding
message.
Support Destination NSW and NSW Trade and Investment&rsquo